1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of exposing an index print in which images recorded on a photographic film are disposed in a matrix, an index printer, and a photographic printer having a function of preparing index prints.
2. Description of the Related Art
Index prints may be used to quickly recognize images recorded on a photographic film (for example, a negative film, and which is hereinafter referred to as a negative film) on which images have been photographed by a photographing apparatus such as a camera and which have been subjected to development processing.
For example, it has been proposed to accommodate and store a negative film in a cartridge after being subjected to development processing. Index prints are very useful for identifying what images are recorded on a negative film stored in such a cartridge.
Index prints are constructed such that images of all frames recorded on one roll of negative film are recorded on a photographic printing paper in a matrix. To effect recording in a matrix of the index prints of all of the frames recorded on one roll of negative film, all of the images are displayed on a CRT and the photographic printing paper is exposed in accordance with the index images displayed on the CRT.
It has been proposed that various image display devices be used to expose such index images. However, when index prints are prepared in a state in which images of all frames recorded on one roll of negative film are displayed at the same time, the index print apparatus is excessively large and it is often difficult to incorporate the function of preparing index prints into a conventional photographic printer for preparing photographic prints. For this reason, small-sized display panels, such as a liquid crystal display panel (which is hereinafter referred to as an "LCD panel"), a plasma display, or a PLZT (transparent ceramics display) have been studied for use as the image display device. These display panels can be made extremely small even if a light source is provided separately, so as to be easily incorporated into the photographic printer.
However, the small-sized display panel is limited in size, and when images of all frames on one roll of negative film are displayed on the display panel, an image of each frame is made smaller as the number of frames on the roll increases. Accordingly, when the photographic printing paper is exposed in accordance with index images displayed on the image display device, the index print may be finished with coarse-grained images. Further, there exist various drawbacks such that some of small-sized image display device deteriorate due to heat from a light source or self-generating heat so that gradation of a displayed image varies, and it may become difficult to expose the photographic printing paper in uniform quality for a long period of time.
Further, there are several types of negative films, which have different numbers of frames for photographing, and one roll of negative film may be subjected to development processing with frames not subjected to photographing remaining thereon. Such frames not subjected to photographing are indicated as empty frames on the index print and an outward appearance (the look) of the index print worsens. Further, when an empty frame is excluded to save the amount of photographic printing paper, it becomes unclear whether an image has actually been recorded on the frame.